Though the future of his alpine skiing career appeared to be in jeopardy for months, Broderick Thompson declared via Instagram that he's "not done yet."
The two-time Olympic athlete experienced a heavy crash in training on Nov. 29, 2023 and has been grappling with the effects of a head injury ever since. Nonetheless, he made it onto the 2024/25 Alpine Canada roster.
"Although I’ve been told to stop, assumed I’d be done, expected to hang 'em up, it’s not that time yet," Thompson wrote on social media. "Skiing has been a big part of my life and to take something hard (understatement, ya) and say: 'alright, I’m done' is not something my family or I do. Yes I was told I may have died or I could be paralyzed, but I didn’t and I’m not. I will get on snow after a year post-injury to give my brain a good chunk of time to be risk-free, slowly ease into it, and will have to live within a new realm of risk for sure. What that means from an opportunity, skill, and risk gauge is unknown until I give it a go, so we will see."
Thompson admits that he doesn't remember the incident and has not seen footage of it, nor did he recall a number of other things until photos and stories jogged his memory.
Despite that fact, the 30-year-old said: "My plan for now is to get back on snow and start with a technical return to sport program and also find the joy I’ve always had in the mountains this winter. Even though downhill on ice, going 130+ [kilometres/hour] is a little dangerous… there’s a lot else to it. Skiing is a beautiful sport of freedom and a proving ground, whether it’s your first time or something you’ve done since a year old. I believe in proof within life, maybe to overcome assumption or expectation as I’ve touched on in previous posts.
"Thanks to my family, friends, support team, community and sponsors that are there. Let’s see what this next chapter looks like, and the opportunities that will and won’t arise. Posting from a duck blind near Coderre, Saskatchewan. Yes, I’ve been staying busy and trying new and old things, for now and what I will do after racing, eventually.. not yet. Also my mom sent me this quote: 'that’s all for now. If it’s too much, unfollow, if you wonder what’s next: tag along.'"
Several of Thompson's fellow Canadian skiers, including Brodie Seger, Britt Richardson, Cassidy Gray and Maia Schwinghammer, have expressed support for him on his Instagram account.
